


Once In A Lifetime

by RavenReyesWrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, akasuga - Freeform, another rarepair yay, based on a spoken poetry i listened to years ago, just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27956747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenReyesWrites/pseuds/RavenReyesWrites
Summary: It seems as though that at one glance, he’s got me all intrigued, charmed, captivated. I mean, I was highly attracted to Tooru before I got the courage to ask him out, but I don’t remember the feeling  to be this strong.Is this what they dub as love at first sight?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Once In A Lifetime

**Keiji’s POV**

Music. It’s my life.

I don’t think I could ever live without music; it’s the only thing that gives color to my life. Every chord that I strum on my guitar, every beat on my drumpad, every sound that comes out of my mouth that gives life to the words I write on my paper that slowly form into a song…it  _ is  _ there. It has become a part of my daily life that if you see me not playing any of my instruments, you should probably start asking whether I’m fine. Because, yeah, as I’ve said, music is my life.

It all started when I listened to my dad play a beautiful tune on the saxophone when I was just three years old. I can remember sitting on my mom’s lap as we gathered in the living room in front of the fireplace. My older sister, Yui, was too busy eating some mashed potatoes and spoon-feeding me from time to time. It was Christmas Eve, and the heavenly smell of KFC chicken wafted in the air, but all thoughts about the all-time favorite Christmas food in Japan disappeared from my mind when my dad started playing the brass instrument. Right from the first note, to the seemingly complex yet rich arrangement of the song as it neared the chorus, until he finished the piece, I was  _ hooked.  _

There was just something about the way my dad was pressing the keys with the sax letting out the corresponding note that just  _ sounded  _ right. He had his eyes closed the entire time, save for that one second when he winked at me when he hit a high note. 

My dad must have noticed my ogling during the whole song because I can remember him kneeling in front of me and telling me that I can touch the sax. And when my tiny warm hand met its cold metal, I knew that merely touching it wouldn’t satisfy me.

Fifteen years later, my late father’s saxophone laid in its case next to my bed, right beside the boxes of my electric drums, keyboard case, violin case, and the guitar stand where my two acoustic guitars, Fender electric guitar, and my bass guitar were in.

People could say that I’m obsessed. Obsessed  _ and _ spoiled. Well, they weren’t wrong. They cost a fortune but my mom was always okay with me asking her to buy whatever instrument that caught my eyes and ears at that moment. In my defense, my mom never had to pay for lessons because I learned to play each one of them through self-teaching.There were a few protests at first, asking me if I was really ready to learn the violin when she just bought me an electric keyboard a month ago, but when she saw that I have mastered classical pieces on it without looking at the music sheets, she rolled her eyes and the very next day, there was a Cecilio violin case laying on my bed.

So yes, I am obsessed  _ and  _ spoiled. But at the same time, I have the most supportive family (and a sizable inheritance in my bank account. Thanks, dad). And the least I could do was make a name for myself out of this  _ fixation. _

* * *

  
  


“Keiji! Good news!” Yui yelled as I exited my room and walked into the kitchen. “You got into the preliminary round!”

She’s holding up a paper that I’m sure had come from the music school that I applied on for a college scholarship. I took the said paper from her to find out whether she’s telling me the truth or just fucking with me, which is like her favorite hobby.

I looked over it and started reading its contents. She was right. I got into the preliminary stage and there’s only one thing to do for me to pass it: write a song.

I let out a calming breath as I leaned against the counter, my eyes still on the university’s insignia at the header. At the corner of my eye, I can see Yui drinking from her coffee mug, an eyebrow raised as she waited for me to say anything. I bit my lip as my eyes fell on the third paragraph containing the criteria for judging for the song I have to write. 

I mean… I can play instruments. I can  _ arrange  _ a song. But I have never written one. I know notes and chords, but do I  _ know  _ words?

I sighed, scratching the back of my head as I flipped to the next page, but on it was just the email address to which I should submit the song to, together with its mp3 file and doc for the lyrics. 

_ We look forward to listening to your submission. Best of luck. _

If I wasn’t nervous before, reading that closing statement did the job for me. I can feel sweat on my forehead and goosebumps on my arms, and my heartbeat’s slowly picking up in speed. This is really happening. I actually have a chance of getting into this prestigious music school. This is my one expressway to finally getting a degree out of my passion.

I was pulled back to reality when Yui stood on her tiptoes and patted my head gently. It made me look at her, and the lack of the usual look of malice and humor on her face weirdly made me at ease. 

She actually looked like an encouraging big sister then.

“You only have one shot at this, Keiji. Don’t waste it.”

* * *

A few days later, I found myself slowly spinning on my swivel chair. I only have three days left to finish the song I have to submit, but until now, I have only succeeded in making my notebook thinner and thinner by ripping its pages out everytime I get a songwriter’s block, which has been happening a lot lately.

I can’t think straight. I can’t even complete a single stanza. I can’t even hear its tune yet in my mind. If you ask me now, there’s only one note that’s echoing in my brain. It’s one low and deep note. There’s no excitement. It’s lifeless. Like one dead music.

I leaned heavily against the chair I had been sitting on for hours, looking up and staring at the ceiling that had been a silent witness of my once happy life, back to the days when Tooru and I were still dating.

If you compare my life with Tooru to a song, it’s gonna be a pop one, a song that had made us dance (metaphorically of course since he got all the dancing skills) everytime our hands joined. It’s a song that made us smile as it gave life and hope deep within our hearts.

That’s how happy we were before he had to go overseas to fulfill his dreams of becoming a theater actor. And the last thing he said to me before driving away from the Oikawa garage was “Sometimes, you have to leave to find the things that you have been looking for.”

He was right. I have to leave so I can find what I’ve been yearning for. And I can’t find that  _ damn  _ inspiration to write this song if I stay here in my room. With that, I changed into more decent clothes, took my notebook and pen off my table, and went out of our house. I can hear Yui’s voice telling me to come back early for dinner, to which I replied with “Yeah, see you” as I locked the gates behind me.

It’s been a year since Tooru had left. It’s also been a year of me walking to the park near our home alone. One year since I had held his hand for the last time as we walked towards our favorite restaurant just outside the village we both lived in.

One year of missing him. 

A few minutes later, I sat on one of the vacant tables outside the said restaurant and tried to start writing on my notebook. The waitress, Kiyoko, waved at me from inside and I smiled. She’s in my class and she works there part-time during the weekends and she was a witness of my dinner dates with Tooru, and maybe those two or three times we were displaying too much affection. 

I looked around, at the people walking, at the cloud-littered afternoon skies, at the kids playing on the swings and the ones chasing each other in the park right across me, at anything that can give me the first word of the song that can change my life.

Thirty minutes had passed and still, I can’t think of anything. Nothing remotely good ever came into my mind and I was this close to giving up and going home to help Yui prepare for dinner. With a sigh, I put down my pen and closed my eyes, clasping my hands together on the table and prayed that I may find a reason to write again. That I may finally find the inspiration to actually start writing the damn song.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing that I saw was a gray-haired guy who had just sat on the bench on the other side of the street. He was wearing a plain shirt under a black zipped hoodie, grey sweatpants, and a pair of… wait, are those Nike slides? Huh. I looked back up and that’s when I realized he was holding a sketchpad, and after a few moments of just staring at the cover, he opened it and started drawing.

At that moment, I couldn’t do anything but stare at his face. He wasn’t that far from me so I could clearly see the tiny smiles he made as he sketched. He had one leg crossed over the other and his tongue was peaking a little at the corner of his lips. His eyes… I can’t see them quite clearly but I can see the  _ pleasure  _ in them as he continued sketching.  And, wow, is that a mole right below his left eye? It made him look… more attractive than he already was.

It seems as though that at one glance, he’s got me all intrigued, charmed, captivated. I mean, I was highly attracted to Tooru before I got the courage to ask him out, but I don’t remember the  _ feeling  _ to be this strong.

Is this what they dub as love at first sight?

Despite the absurdity of the idea that had just come in my mind, I smiled. I turned back on my table and picked up the pen again and started writing. Suddenly, words and verses started flooding in my mind, racing against each other for me to write first.

_ A summer rain’s passing over _

_ And it feels like a dream _

_ I could run and look for shelter _

_ But you hold on to me _

_ I’m under your skies _

_ I’m caught in your eyes _

I couldn’t stop writing. Words were flowing out of my head and into my pen and into my notebook. As weird as it sounds, I actually got inspired by the guy sitting on the bench. And when I looked back up to him, I could already hear my song’s tune.

_ Don’t you know you stop the room? _

_ And all that I can see is you _

_ I’m standing where the lightning strikes _

_ I know this doesn’t happen twice _

I clenched my jaw as I struggled to write the perfect line to end the chorus. To be fair, it was the first challenge that I’ve encountered ever since I started writing minutes ago. As if on autopilot, I looked up to my inspiration but he was already closing his sketchpad and a moment later, he left. I sighed, scratching the back of my head as I decided to follow suit and go home. But before standing up, I scribbled the final line of my chorus with a smile.

_ You must be my once in a lifetime _

* * *

What happened earlier was something that I’ve never felt before. Maybe, until this day. Like, a few minutes before seeing him, it felt like my world had been dark, that the only songs I could write are about pain and sadness. Maybe it was because of what I had to go through before with Tooru but now, it’s a different story. When I saw the guy in the park, I was reminded of how good new hope feels like.

The next day, I went back to the restaurant and just like the day before, I sat on one of the vacant seats outside, hoping that the guy would return.

And boy, I wasn’t disappointed.

He was there again, sitting on the same spot just like yesterday. He still has his sketchpad with him and after a few seconds, he started drawing.

I followed suit and took my notebook and pen out of my bag to continue writing my song. I needed to finish it as soon as possible since the deadline is in two days and I still had to record it.

As I wrote one line after the other, I looked up at him and boy, he got more and more attractive as that self-satisfied smile slowly formed on his lips.

I hope he knows how good he looks when that smile reaches his eyes.

_ There’s so much that I have told you _

_ But it’s all in my head _

_ Ask me anything you want to _

_ ‘Cause the answer is yes _

_ I’ll spend my whole life _

_ Just being caught up in your eyes _

Yes, I am holding onto something that’s unsure. Maybe unconsciously, I was hoping that my heart could still play the music it used to play with Tooru. There’s no reassurance that I’ll ever get to know the grey-haired guy. I mean, how would I know if someone already owns his heart? How would I know if he could like me back? How would I know if the song of my life could match the music of his heart?

I was scared. I didn’t want to assume things. Maybe I was just looking after myself too much but I can’t let myself feel this much for a stranger. I don’t want rejection. I don’t want to feel the pain of being left behind again.

I stood up and decided to go home. Prevention is better than cure.

* * *

The deadline’s on the next day. My song’s almost done and I already have an idea on how it would sound like but… it still feels off. I was lying down on my bed and thinking hard; not about my song but about  _ the _ guy. I just can’t stop thinking about his face. His smile. His mole. His existence. At the way he made me feel in those mere minutes that my eyes were on him..

“Keiji, how’s your song?” Yui asked, making me turn to her. I didn’t notice her standing by my doorway, looking at me as I was thinking about the song (and the girl) with my eyes closed.

I shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know. I’ve already written most of the lyrics but the tune’s still… I don’t know. It’s boring. It’s freakin’ lifeless.”

Surprisingly, Yui laughed before entering my room fully and sitting at the edge of my bed.

“You know, Keiji, you don’t have to hold back.”

At her words, I frowned as I slowly sat up against my headboard. This was unlike her; there it was again, her being like an actual big sister.

“Sometimes, we learn the most from things that seem unsure. Just when we think that there’s nothing left, we’ll see something out of the corner of our eyes. It has always been there; we just didn’t see it clearly the first time,” she said as she reached for my guitar, making me look at it. She strummed the strings and an out-of-tune note echoed in my room. Her statement made me think, actually  _ think.  _ She was right. I was too absorbed by my past that I got scared at the probability of  _ trying  _ again. She must have probably noticed that I zoned out that she threw my guitar pick at me, making me look back up at her.

“Play from the heart. Be brave. Be open, Keiji.”

Because of Yui’s words, my confidence made a comeback. She was right, I realized. I need to be brave. Life’s too short to assume things. I may be unsure, but it’s gonna be worth a try. With one last grin, Yui stood up and exited my room, but not without ruffling my hair first. And as the door closed, I stood up and sat on my chair, my pen in hand and a new form of inspiration in mind.

Hours later, I managed to finish the lyrics and started matching the tune on it. I thought of the day that I met Tooru, our happiness when we got together, the joy we shared when we were still together. And then, my mind shifted to the guy in the park, the one who brought the music back to my heart, the person who, in such a short while, became my inspiration. The guy who made me believe that I am still capable of feeling and of falling.

I finally finished writing the song lyrics at dawn. It was hard to sing but it’s harder to write a song. But as they say, if you love what you’re doing, you’ll barely feel any difficulties. And I reminded myself that I love music. But more so, I love the people who inspire me to make music. And as I laid on my bed to get a few hours of rest, my last thought was of a figure with grey messy hair wearing black Nike slides.

* * *

  
  


I woke up early to record my song. The song’s due at 1 PM and I finished everything at 12 PM. I listened to the song again, and felt every word in it. When I was already confident of it, I texted Yui to have her judge it. And yes, I do trust her enough for this.

“Shit, that was great,” Yui said as she listened through my earphones. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. “It’s so full of love. Of… of feeling. It makes me feel things, Keiji.”

I let her finish listening to the whole song and when it ended, she took off the earphones and looked at me meaningfully. I simply rolled my eyes at her before saving the project as mp3. I only looked at her when she nudged me on my side. Hard.

“Who’s the inspiration?” 

I only gave her a smile.

She spoke again, “Is it Tooru?”

I was shocked, shaking my head before replying. “No, Yui. I’ve moved on.”

“So who are you talking about in this song?”

I stopped what I was doing, my fingers hovering over the keys of my laptop before looking at her and giving her another small smile. “The guy in the park.”

* * *

The next day, I went back to the park, my hand clutching a printed copy of my lyrics with a small note at the back of it. I swallowed as I saw him hunched over his sketchpad, nibbling my bottom lip as I started walking towards him.

Next thing I knew, I was already standing right in front of him. This is it, I thought. He looked up at me with those brown eyes of his and for a moment, I forgot why I was standing there. Confusion was evident on his face but I could only focus on how  _ disarming  _ he was upclose. It made me nervous; he made me nervous and all I could do to calm my racing heart was to bite my bottom lip. Unfortunately, nerves got the best of me and so, I placed the folded paper on the vacant space beside him and walked away without looking back.

As I took more steps away from him, the more stupid I felt. He must already be thinking how weird, how creepy I was. But I figured it’s too late for me to go back. I mean, I already left a note. Its contents were already self-explanatory. Well, at least for me.

> _ I went out to look for inspiration, and when I saw you, I didn’t want to come home anymore. Because of you, I managed to write this song. You’re the one who gave me hope. If it’s not too much to ask, I want you to listen to me sing this song tomorrow at 7 PM in the restaurant across the park. _
> 
> _ I hope to see you there. _
> 
> _ \- Keiji Akaashi _

I hope he reads it.

* * *

The next day, I was woken up with good news and a tight congratulatory hug from Yui. I got the scholarship grant and the letter sitting on my study table only made it all official. I was overjoyed, and my mind automatically went to the thought of me on my first day of class being all excited and giddy. Before I got way too engrossed with my thoughts, my mind focused on the guy in the park. I now have a bigger reason to see him and to thank him personally. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have this scholarship. I owe him a lot, and the least I could do is to sing to him. 

If he shows up, that is.

* * *

The hours passed by, bringing me closer to 7 PM, the night when I’ll try to hold on my feelings and express them. Tonight’s the night when I’ll try to get to know him and tell him how grateful I am and maybe, if my nerves allow me to, tell him how much I admire him.

I breathed in deeply and slowly let it go as my eyes fell on the stage inside the restaurant. It was a Friday night, and this restaurant hosts a karaoke night every Friday. I have been sitting on one of the tables for the last 30 minutes, nervously looking around for a grey-haired man in the semi-crowded place. I sighed as I didn’t see his familiar face even until the clock struck 7. I let a few minutes pass by, still hoping that the guy will show up but when the man singing one of Justin Bieber’s songs finished with an exaggerated bow onstage, I knew that I needed to come up already and sing. I felt my hope slowly slip away as I walked towards the stage.

I don’t think he’s coming; hell, I don’t think he even read the lyrics and my letter. Or worse, maybe I scared him with what I did. Who in their right mind would agree to meet a stranger anyway?

Once I was set, I let out another breath and started strumming the intro, starting the song despite the guy’s absence.

__

> _ A summer rain’s passing over _
> 
> _ And it feels like a dream _
> 
> _ I could run and look for shelter _
> 
> _ But you hold on to me _
> 
> _ I’m under your skies _
> 
> _ I’m caught in your eyes _

Just when I was about to sing the chorus, the door of the restaurant opened and in came the man that I had been waiting for. He smiled as he saw me onstage, nodding at me slightly as I tried to keep the butterflies in my stomach calm. At least for now.

He sat on the chair that I vacated earlier, thanks to Kiyoko leading him there, his eyes still on me with a small smile curved on his face. He seemed to be listening to me, taking in the song that was written because of him. I gave him a smile. 

I now have hope. I can now finally meet him.

_ Don’t you know you stop the room _

_ And all that I can see is you _

_ I’m standing where the lightning strikes _

_ I know this doesn’t happen twice _

_ You must be my once in a lifetime, in a lifetime _

_ You must be my once in a lifetime _

I kept my eyes on him as I continued with my song, smiling at him during the little breaks in between the lines. The chords shifted as I entered the bridge, inhaling gently before I sang.

_ So before the storm has passed _

_ I just want to ask _

_ Can we make this moment last? _

_ So before the storm has passed _

_ I just want to ask _

_ Can we make this moment last? _

I sang the chorus once again and finally, I finished the song and let the last chord ring. I heard the loud applause and cheer from the audience but my eyes were still on the guy who had joined the audience in clapping. I walked down the stage without feeling any nervousness. I felt more and more excited as I approached him. When I was close enough, he stood up to meet me halfway.

I smiled before asking him, “Did you like it?”

Instead of answering me, he handed me a folded piece of paper. My smile faltered a bit in confusion but nonetheless, I opened it and read it. As I read its contents, he raised his hands in front of him and started moving them, letting his hands talk for him.

> _ I can’t hear the song because I’m deaf. I can’t say “thank you” because I wasn’t given the ability to speak. But one thing’s for sure: your song made me feel more things compared to anything and anyone that had tried. Not even sketching has made me feel this at ease, this content. I felt what you wanted me to feel. My heart heard the music that you made for me. And for that, I wholeheartedly thank you. _
> 
> _ \- Koushi Sugawara _

**Author's Note:**

> Listen to Keiji’s song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqT5nWz_2Hg)


End file.
